they did not ſtir, fired her Arms down the Hold amongſt them, killing one, and wounding others.
This was part of the Evidence againſt her, which ſhe denied; which, whether true or no, thus much is certain, that ſhe did not want Bravery, nor indeed was ſhe leſs remarkable for her Modeſty, according to her Notions of Virtue: Her Sex was not ſo much as ſuſpected by any Perſon on Board, till Anne Bonny, who was not altogether ſo reſerved in point of Chaſtity, took a particular liking to her; in ſhort, Anne Bonny took her for a handſome young Fellow, and for ſome Reaſons beſt known to herſelf, firſt diſcovered her Sex to Mary Read; Mary Read knowing what ſhe would be at, and being very ſenſible of her own Incapacity that Way, was forced to come to a right Underſtanding with her, and ſo to the great Diſappointment of Anne Bonny, ſhe let her know ſhe was a Woman alſo; but this Intimacy ſo diſturb’d Captain Rackam, who was the Lover and Gallant of Anne Bonny, that he grew furiouſly jealous, ſo that he told Anne Bonny, he would cut her new Lover’s Throat, therefore, to quiet him, ſhe let him into the Secret alſo.
Captain Rackam, (as he was enjoined,) kept the Thing a Secret from all the Ship’s Company, yet, notwithſtanding all her Cunning and Reſerve, Love found her out in this Diſguiſe, and hinder’d her from forgetting her Sex. In their Cruize they took a great Number of Ships belonging to Jamaica, and other Parts of the Weſt-Indies, bound to and from England; and when ever they meet any good Artiſt, or other Perſon that might be of any great Uſe to their Company, if he was not willing to enter, it was their Cuſtom to keep him by Force. Among theſe was a young Fellow of a moſt engageing Behaviour, or, at leaſt, he was ſo in the Eyes of Mary Read, who became ſo ſmitten with his Perſon and Addreſs, that ſhe could neither reſt,
